Door latch



Nov. 27, 1956 M. H. sEMELKA DOOR LATCH -2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 26. 1954 M/CHAEL H. SEMELKA INVENTOR. Bil/MMT ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-SheetZ 27 IO I .34-

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M: H. SEMELKA DOOR LATCH IIIIIIIIII Filed May 26, 1954 MICHAEL H. SEME/ K A nvr/Emma Y ATToR/vfY United States Patent() DOOR LATCH Michael H. Semelka, Decatur, Ill.

Application May 26, 1954, Serial No. 432,367

4 Claims. (Cl. 292-18) This invention relates to a door latch.

The invention is more especially concerned with a safety-latch for refrigerator doors but is also applicable to other types of doors wherein the latching is effected in a direction normal to the doors. j

Latches on refrigerator doors as now commonly constructed require the manipulation of handles exterior of the doors for effecting release of the latches preparatory to opening of the doors.

Many incidents are known wherein children have crawled into refrigerators, particularly abandoned ones, after which the doors have in one way or another closed and since such doors equipped with present ylatches cannot be opened from the inside, the results have in many instances been tragedies.

It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a latch for refrigerator doors whereby the doors are capable of being pushed open from the inside as readily as they can be closed from the outside.

A further object of the invention is to provide a latch for refrigerator or similar type doors which does not require the use of a manipulating handle for operating' the latch.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. l is a perspective view of that portion of the latch structure which is set into the body of the refrigerator, showing the latch jaws and their spring tension elements.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental vertical sectional view of a refrigerator body and door as observed in the plane of line 2 2 on Fig. 3 and showing the latch primarily in elevation and in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental horizontal section as observed in the plane of line 3 3 on Fig. 2.

Fig.l 4 is a vertical section as observed in the plane of line 4 4 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental vertical sectional view as observed in the plane of line 5-5 on Fig. 3 and showing the cooperating latch elements in their opening or closing positions.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, a portion of the insulated refrigerator body is indicated at and a portion of an insulated door is indicated at 11.

The body 1li is provided with a rectangular recess 12 which opens through the front side thereof and the door 11 is provided with a shallow recess 13 in its inner side.

A easement 14 (Fig. l) is disposed within the body recess 12 as is more clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 5.

The easement 14 comprises a generally U-shaped body 15 whose legs 16 are horizontally disposed and the outer ends of such legs are provided with outwardly directed flanges 17 which are engageable by opposite ends of a cover plate 18 and said plate together with the anges 17 are provided with aligned apertures for receiving screws 2,772,106 Patented Nov. 27, 1956 ICC 2 19 which enter the body 10 and secure the easement 14 within the recess 12.

A pair of mounting plates 20 are verticallyy disposed within the body 15 in laterally spaced parallel relation and the upper and lower ends thereof are secured to the legs 16 by means of small studs 21.

Av pair of vertically spaced horizontally disposed pivot pins 22 extend through the mounting plates 20 and span the space therebetween. The butt end of an arcuate gripping'arm 23 is pivotally supported on each pin22 between the plates 20 and the opposite end of each arm is provided with a gripping jaw 24 whose free ends are movable within a vertical slot 25 in the cover plate 18.

A pin 26 extends through each gripping arm 23 and projects equal distances from opposite sides thereof and a coiled tension spring 27 is disposed at each side of the gripping arms 23 and has its opposite ends connected to the projecting pins 26.

A limiting pin 28 extends through the plates 20 intermedate the pivot pins 22 and is engageable by the butt ends of the arms 23 for limiting movement thereof t0- ward each other under action of the spring 27, as is indicated in Fig. 2. y

It is to be observed that the arcuate gripping arms 23 provide opposing concave surfaces and while the arms are relatively thin the jaws 24 are of substantial width but are in symmetrical relation to the arms.

The jaws each provide an inner cam surface 29 and an outer cam surface 30.

A bracket 31 of generally T-form has its base 32 secured in the shallow recess 13 in the door 11 as by screws 32l and the stem 33 of the bracket which is in the form of a vertically disposed plate projects inwardly in symmetrical relation to a horizontal plane extending through the axis of the limiting pin 28.

A pair of vertically spaced rollers are pivotally supported in the plate 33 and each thereof comprises a portion 34 disposed at one side of the plate and provided with a concentric reduced portion 35 rotatably supported in an aperture 36 in the plate and a second cooperating portion 37 at the opposite side of the plate and the two portions are connected by a screw bolt 38 whose head 39 is disposed in a recess 40 in the portion 34.

When the door 11 is in open position the arms 23 and jaws 24 will be in the position of Fig. 2 with the butt ends of the arms engaged with the limiting pin 28 under the action of spring 27.

Upon initial closing of the door the rollers 34-37 will initially engage the outer cam surfaces 30 of the jaws and urge the jaws and arms apart against the action of springs 27 as in Fig. 5 and thereafter the rollers will engage the inner cam surfaces 29 which will maintain the door closed under the action of the springs.

The door 11 may with equal facility be pushed open from the inside whereupon the rollers in engagement with cam surfaces 29 will urge the arms 23 apart against the action of the springs 27.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the sub-joined claims.

What l claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

l. A latch structure for the door of a refrigerator or the like, comprising a easement disposed within an outwardly opening recess in the body of the refrigerator, vertically spaced gripping jaws movable toward and from each other about vertically spaced pivot pins supported by said easement, spring means connected to said jaws and normally urging same toward each other, a bracket secured to said door and having a pair of vertically spaced rollers rotatable about horizontal axes, and yinner and outer cam 'surfaces on said vjaws alternately engageable by s'aid o'llrsih'the 'opening and closing movements of the door.

2. AThe structure .according -to claimV l, together' with a VIVlir'iitifg"'pin supported by said vCasement and Vdisposed intermediate said pivot lfpins for limiting Iapproaching irfovein'entff -said jaws under the -action of-said spring means. y p Y p '3. A"The Vstr'lictlire according to claim l, wherein said bracket n includes a vertically disposed plate and said rollers each' 'comprising apair of axially spaced sections, one Vof which includes a reduced .portion rotatably supported 'in fan a'pei'tiire inthe plate, and a screw extending axially through said sections removably securing saine together.

A4,72tla`teh s'truture for the door of a refrigerator or the like, comprising Va 'Casement disposed within an outwa'rdly'openingrece'ss in'the body of the refrigerator, said casement"inclu'ding a horizontally -disposed U-shaped nem'ben'the 'oiiter ends of whose'legs are provided with outwardly direted'ang'es, a covertplate having the opposite ends thereof engaged Withthe outer `faces of said flanges, screwsfe'ii'tending "through alined apertures in 1 said ang'es and said plate and into 'said body :for -removably "securing said Casement within said recess, said cover plate having a vertically disposed slot'therein, a pair of spaced, parallel, vertically disposed plates within *saiaiufsnapea member wana rigidly secured thereto, a

pair of vertically spaced ,pivot pins supported by v,said plates and traversing the space therebetween, upper and lower arcuate gripping arms having their inner ends disposed between said plates and pivotally supported on said pivot pins, spring means disposed between said arms and connected thereto for normally urging same toward each other, a gripping jaw 4rigid with the outer end of each arm and having inner 'and outer roller engageable cam surfaces, a bracket Tsup'por'tedron the inner wall of said door and including a vertically disposed plate movable through said "slotand apair of 'vertically spaced rollers vrotatablysupported 'by said Yplate on axes gparallel with said pivot pins, said rollers being alternately engageable with said inner and outer cam 'surfaces in the opening and closing movements of the door.

' References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED l/S'IATE'S 'PATENTS 

